Hal65

Good advice by all. I have condensed it into the following options:

1. Leaving the Thai consulate at 4pm, I tuk to the border while checking in on my phone (or even earlier), get through Laos immigration, then taxi through the Thai immigration car lane straight to Udon Airport for 1,000. 

2. Forget this whole thing and take the 5pm Vientiane bus to the bus station and then tuk to the airport for a 9:30 pm flight. Kills another 2-3 hours sitting around in the heat/long immigration lines, but the time windows are spacious

3. Direct flight from VTE to BKK and hope that immigration lets me through (officer tried to catch me this last time with language tests. I got lucky this time as I was on a beginner level Chinese ED visa. This never happens at the border, only BKK)

I think I'll try #1, you guys have given me good ammunition to make it work ????

How much time would you guys allot for a Nong Khai border to Udon Airport ride?

In the other direction I believe it is about 1 hour, right?

Does Udon ever get congested on that route, especially around 5 to 7pm?

Is this a comfortable travel window or too risky? I am assuming leaving the consulate at 4pm (I go late), taxi to border, immigration line, then another taxi to udon airport.

The Air Asia flight leaves at 6:55pm which is a little under 3 hours, but of course you need to board earlier.

7 hours ago, MonkeyLoo said:

Bus across the bridge 20baht.

Minibus from near 7-11 for 50 baht to central or 200 baht to airport.

Private car from near 7-11 between 200-400 baht central or airport depending on passenger numbers.

Sounds like a good deal for both the car and minibus. Is that 7-11 easy to see, entering past the border into Nong Khai? Or do you have to round a corner to see it?

How much time should I expect these buses to take to get to the Airport? Do they take the same route and about the same length of time?

I happen to stay right in between the 2 stations (Pattaya Nua, and the Foodmart in Jomtien) and will take whichever is most convenient.

I like to exchange THB to Laos Kip in Vientiane because you lose another 10-20% if paying in THB to the local places. However on my last trip I arrived at 7:30pm and the currency exchangers and banks near the Mekong were closed.

Next year I plan to arrive around the same time. Does anyone know of a currency exchanger who is open late, until say 9pm?

I once read an Indian guy complaining about so many indians shitting near his home that the shit would dry, turn to dust, and the "shit dust" would go airborne and coat the outside of his home ????

People like the indians are what add spice to life. Sure, Thailand could roll the red carpet for the Japanese and grow wealthier, but what fun would that be?

It'll be a good thing if Indian group negotiations become the new norm. Suddenly 1,000 baht for a shag that doesn't involve anal, video, and other guys nearby seems strong again 

I would like to avoid the Vientiane to Udon Thani bus on my next trip. Getting to the border on a tuk tuk sounds straightfoward. I need to figure out the rest

1. Is there a bus specifically for crossing the bridge as there is in the other direction? (this bus is okay with me)

2. Are there private cars waiting to take people from the border (Nong Khai side) into Udon Thani? What is a fair price to pay? I may go direct to the airport, or to Central Center first, depending on the timing of everything.

14 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

How much luggage are you carrying?

Just my backpack, I'm traveling light

5 minutes ago, ChristianBlessing said:

I haven't walked it but rode my bicycle out of the airport into town. It was quite easy and quick.

Do you remember if there was a checkpoint with guards? When I walked to Udon Thani, the guards called the TSA equivalent people inside and they frisked me fairly hard and in a unfriendly way. They clearly don't get much walk traffic

How walkable is the airport entrance? I learned not to do this at Udon Thani. But if VTE has entrance sidewalks then I'll enjoy a nice long walk there.

Just got back after arriving at 10:40 am. I'm around number #400. In and out took under 40 minutes waiting in 2 lines, well under the 2.5 hours it usually takes me. I'm a latecomer convert now.

I think tomorrow I will time my walk to arrive at around 3pm (1.5 hours / around 240 numbers processed) just to be safe.

8 hours ago, sanemax said:

They serve everyone who is inside before 11.30 .

The later that you get there , the later that you will get your PP back the next day

Could be as late as 3.30 PM

I assume 3:30PM is also not a cutoff time and if you have a number, you will also be served?

Asking because I think I may have waited longer than that before. I think they call about 90 numbers per hour if memory serves me correctly.

Following up on a few posts in another thread about the best time to go to the consulate:

On 1/30/2017 at 1:54 PM, ubonjoe said:

You should have enough time to get to the consular section in Vientiane. They close the gates at 11:30.

Others have done it with later flights than you.

On 1/30/2017 at 4:01 PM, LandOfWiles said:

I recently arrived at the Vientiane visa office at 11am and the place was almost empty. I was in an out within five minutes. I was application number 250 and I had to wait about 90 minutes for that number to be called the following day. I would not go there too soon for pickup if you have a similarly high number. 

Sounds like a good plan and confirms my experience that the line seems to shrink a lot after 10:30am. At 8:30am there is usually a huge line and 2 hour wait.

So I'm tempted to go around 10:30 to 11am now.

But I can see a scenario where I happen to go on a day where it's quite busy even going late in the window (10:30 to 11). In that case, do they continue to serve all the people in line or must you come back the next day (this would cause me to miss my plane and have to rebuy another ticket)

By personal amount I mean you're not smuggling a bunch of porn DVDs or something else that could be considered commercial.

Porn is illegal in Thailand. Has anyone ever seen a porn related conviction that involves personal amounts and no crazy other things (eg children etc)?

Asking because I cross into Laos and back 1 or 2 times a year with my laptop and am curious about the actual risks.

2 hours ago, pieeyed said:

I am sure everyone in the government has big dollar signs flashing in front of their eyes. In Canada no one who is not connected to the government cannot get a permit to grow pot.

That was 3 negatives but I think you said you need connections even in Canada. Doesn't bode well for market forces to keep prices down in Thailand if that's the case.

Can they snag your fingers? Used one for the first time the other day and it didn't look like the closing door was waiting for me to move my fingers.

Anyone understand their legislative process and how far out we are from final passage?

11 hours ago, Thailand J said:

 

so what their website shows is not what they'll honor?

Sending money back to US, if they gave you 30THB to US$1 it is 10% gain not 10% loss.

 

What you quote sounds more plausible. 30 thb to 1 USD was quoted in the app on the sending screens though

Did a test send from Thai account to USA account today. Easy to initiate through the Deemoney app.

Exchange rate given was a little over 30 THB to 1 USD. Checking google it is 33 to 1 so almost a 10% loss. 

Anyone know how much it costs to park there?

Also, does anyone feel it is not very safe or secure?

I am talking about the bus station close to the Nua Sukhumvit junction in case there are others

30 minutes ago, Mickmick said:

As an alternative, have you thought about a portable aircon unit ? Something like one of these : https://www.homepro.co.th/category/11258 (although they are out of stock at homepro at the moment ???? )

I really wanted to. Did my research on here and people say they don't work very well. (not just the ones that are "fans over water" but the legit portable ac units aren't good either)

My apartment has square windows perfect for a boxy window AC like seen in the US. In Thailand most units are long and thin and don't actually fit into a window. They tend to be mounted high and have special holes cut for their tubing.

Is there a way to use the Thai style window ACs with a square window, without any cuts? I don't know precisely how much exposure they need and hope that maybe running the tubing through the window would suffice.

If not that then is exposing about 70% of the unit to the window opening enough?